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Saturday, March 3, 2012

Another Wild Card?

I hate the idea of another wild card and a one game playoff so much, that I’m in favor of it.

It’s a complete case of two problems with America as a whole. Dumbing everything down, and fixing the symptoms instead of the problem.

I don’t think there should be any wild cards. I don’t think there should be any divisions. I think the best team at the end of the season should be the best team. Period. I’ll allow a World Series, since the two leagues like to pretend they’re different. But, that’s it. The fact that a team can win the World Series and be crowned champion after winning the eighth most games during the season is a joke.

But, they’re not going to get rid of the divisions. They’re not going to get rid of the wild card. So, the best I can hope for is something to crush the wild card “winners” into submission. Fix the symptom. So, a one game playoff between wild cards sounds like the perfect punishment. A coin flip would work too. But, at least this way they need to burn a pitcher.

Of course, it doesn’t fix the problem it creates. It creates the possibility that the world champion could be the fifth best team. In it’s league! It’s the dumbing down problem. Nobody wants skill to mean anything anymore. All-Stars are based on fan voting. They want championships based on luck. It’s the same reason people insist on putting money under Free Parking when they play Monopoly. They want to introduce more luck. It’s everywhere. It’s unfortunate.

Luck should have no part in deciding who the best team is. They just finished playing 162 games, and people want the championship decided by another 20? At the most? Why not award the championship to the team that has the best April? Or July? Or May 24 to June 24? Because that would be ridiculous. It’s too small of a sample size. So, why do we award championships to the team that has the best October?

I get the arguments in favor of the playoffs. They’re fun. They make for good TV. They make for good drama. There wouldn’t have been fun, or good TV, or drama last year if NY, Detroit, and Texas went down to the wire to determine the championship after a 162 season?

If you want fun TV, then use my idea. Make a tournament that’s exactly that. A fun tournament. Crown a champion. But, also crown a season champion. Then you have the lucky winner, and the skilled winner. I wonder. If MLB did that next season, how would people look at the tournament champion? A fluke? Would the season championship carry more weight?

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About Me

As a Red Sox fan, I've been to many games at Fenway Park. I've sat in the first row along third base, and the last row in right field. I've sat in roof boxes, field boxes, and the right field grandstand. The best seats of them all, however, are Section 36. Dead center field. You can see the field, enjoy the Sun, and have the time of your life.